Dale Courtney, a rookie with one month of street experience, was dispatched to the Plieth farm near Tigard to investigate a complaint of random shooting. There he found John Wilson, a 15 year-old Newberg youth and Harvey O'Day, a 14 year-old graduate of a California reform school inside Plieth's cabin.
As Courtney approached the door O'Day shot him in the head with a load of buckshot and then wounded Plieth as he fled the area.
The juveniles who had escaped from McLaren the night before left Courtney lying dead at the farm house. They were taken into custody after wrecking a stolen car. Both were convicted and sentenced to prison and were later paroled.